FIFA approves video assistant referees for 2018 World Cup
Bogota: FIFA has approved the use of video assistant referees (VARs) in this year's World Cup in Russia, the international football governing body has said.
The technology was approved by rule-making board IFAB earlier this month but FIFA was yet to ratify its use for football's showpiece tournament, which will be played in Russia from June 14 to July 15.
"We are going to have our first World Cup with video assisted refereeing," FIFA President Gianni Infantino told reporters on Friday after a meeting of FIFA's ruling council in Bogota, Xinhua news agency reported.
"This has been adopted and approved and we are extremely happy with that decision. It's an essential decision, very important and historical decision."
VAR allows officials to review and overturn referee decisions for incidents including goals, penalty awards, red cards and mistaken identity.
The system has been used in Germany's Bundesliga and Italy's Serie A this season as well as some English FA and League Cup matches. It was also trialled during the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia.
Infantino accepted the VAR was "not perfect", but said it ensured "a fairer and more transparent sport".
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
